Joe Bark, a scuba diver with the Redondo Beach Harbor Patrol, surfaces in King Harbor. He said he measured a layer of dead fish that was 2 feet thick on the harbor bottom. Officials expect the decaying fish to rise to the surface in a few days, creating a powerful odor.

It's easy fishing for sea gulls and pelicans in the main channel to King Harbor Marina in Redondo Beach. Many live sardines and anchovies were still swimming in the water but millions were floating dead in the boat slips.

Massive fish die-off in King Harbor Marina

Redondo Beach officials said initial assessments suggest oxygen depletion in the King Harbor basins caused the massive fish die-off. “Every indication is that this is a naturally occurring event,” a state Fish and Game official said. “It’s just a mess. It’s going to smell for a while, but the city’s doing a great job with the cleanup.”